A Family's Caribbean Cruise Turns Sour Due to Autism Misunderstanding

A family's holiday vacation took a turn for the worse when a young man with autism was removed from a cruise ship. The incident happened on Christmas Eve in Cozumel, Mexico. It involved a misunderstanding between the young man, Sean Curran, and another passenger. The family believes the cruise line did not handle the situation with enough care or understanding. Curran, 31, has autism and was on the cruise with his mother, Carolyn Piro, and his brothers. Piro had contacted the cruise line beforehand to discuss accommodations for her sons. She wanted to make sure they would be comfortable and safe during the trip. Despite her efforts, the incident occurred. The trouble started when Curran bought a drink for a teenage girl. He did not realize the drink contained alcohol. The girl then touched him and used bad language. Curran reacted by lifting her, similar to a scene from his favorite movie. The girl's parents arrived and started yelling. Cruise staff then took Curran to a security office.Curran explained that he has autism and was just trying to be nice. He wrote a short statement for the cruise staff. His mother arrived and helped him apologize. However, the cruise line decided to remove Curran from the ship. He and his mother had only 90 minutes to pack and leave. Piro believes the cruise line could have handled the situation better. She thinks they could have restricted Curran to his room or allowed him to leave at the next port. Instead, she feels the cruise line treated her son poorly. She also feels they did not show enough understanding of his autism. The family was reunited a few days later when the ship docked in Florida. Piro later received an apology from the cruise line. She also asked for a refund of the $20, 000 she spent on the cruise. The cruise line declined to comment on her request. Piro is now advocating for better understanding and acceptance of autism. She wants cruise lines and other businesses to provide better training for their staff. She also wants them to create more inclusive environments for people with autism. Curran is also speaking out about the incident. He wants people to treat others with kindness and respect. He hopes his story will help raise awareness about autism and the challenges people with autism face.